PREVIEW: Liverpool vs FC Basel (19:45 BST)

LIVERPOOL’S Champions League life hangs in the balance going into their final group game against Swiss champions FC Basel at Anfield tonight.

The Reds have only amassed four points from a possible 15 in their five games and only victory will be enough to see them move into the knockout stages.

Basel have been somewhat of a nemesis to English clubs in this competition in the past however, beating Chelsea home and away in the 2012/13 season as well as eliminating Manchester United the previous year with a 2-1 win at their home of St.Jakob-Park.

Bulgarian outfit Ludogorets are the only opposition Liverpool have picked up points against in Europe so far, winning 2-1 in the red side Merseyside and drawing 2-2 in Razgrad.

They have not been much better domestically either and are currently languishing in ninth, six points off the coveted place in the top four spot that enables them to qualify for next season’s competition.

Liverpool last won the Champions League in 2005 but required a two-goal winning margin against Olympiakos on this day 10 years ago to progress from the group and secure the 3-1 win.

The feat was achieved thanks to a dramatic rasping strike in the dying seconds from Steven Gerrard and Brendan Rodgers will be hoping the spirit of that night will still resonate with his out-of-form club captain.

Gerrard was only used as a late substitute on Saturday despite scoring against Leicester the previous Tuesday as Liverpool limped to a lifeless 0-0 draw at home to Sunderland.